Socio-Anthro majors conduct outreach at Mabunao Integrated School

by RAY DONAIRE from the said school’s supreme student government officers.

OFFICERS AND MEMBERS of the Junior Anthropologists and Sociologists of Silliman (JASS) conducted an annual outreach program in Mabunao, Bais City, last Feb. 18-19.

The program, Ambit Kahanas, was attended by 163 students from primary and secondary levels of Mabunao Integrated School under the supervision of Silliman University’s Department of Anthropology and Sociology.

Ambit Kahanas is a Visayan term for “Exchange of Skills” or “A Festival of Knowledge and Skills.”

The program’s capacity-building activities include leadership and organizational management, computer literacy training, music lessons, rug-making, and meat processing.

A meeting for project planning and development also commenced afterward with participants

On the volunteers for the outreach, JASS adviser Lance Lagunay said that the majority who joined were not enrolled in directly related courses such as community studies, rural sociology, national development, and sociology of the economy.

With the face-to-face program, Lagunay added that although the junior anthropologists and sociologists were taught theories on societal behaviors in all aspects, learning “should not be confined to four corners of the room.”

“Learning about social issues hits differently when you experience life itself instead of learning about it in the textbooks, internet, or posts in social media,” he said.

During the program’s briefing, Lagunay said “Makinig,Makilahok, at Makibahagi” [Listen, Participate, and Contribute] to JASS members as a guide in conducting the program in the community.

“This meant that they have to be observant with their surroundings and how the people behave; participate in the occurrences in their daily life; and to try to be a part of the community,” said Lagunay.

Kurt Ceniza, former JASS president, said the program was designed for JASS members to share their knowledge and skills.

“We made sure that the skills we share are practical and [useful] in their lives [the learners] in the future,” he said.

With the start of the second semester of the school year 2022-2023, JASS ratified its constitution and bylaws and conducted the re-election of officers on Feb. 22. The newlyelected president is Jairus Waban. tWS

by ALLIANAH BOLOTAULO

THE AMERICAN CONCRETE Institute Philippines - Silliman University Student Chapter (ACIP-SUSC) leveled up to 2022 Excellent University from their Outstanding award status last year.

American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) Award for University Student Activities Program is based on a university’s total points from their participation in select ACI-related activities.

The winners this year were announced last Feb. 10, with 55 universities worldwide awarded “excellent,” while 53 were awarded “outstanding.”

ACIP-SUSC President Charmel Cainglet said they were unable to reach 12 points last year, the needed number of points to get an excellent award, because of the pandemic.

This year, the ACIP-SUSC joined different events under the ACI and other concrete-related events.

According to Danielle Still Tinambacan, ACIPSUSC External vice-president, their administration “has been eyeing for a change since day one.”

For the first time, they joined the 2022 ACI Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Bowling Bowl Competition at Far Eastern University Institute of Technology, Manila, where participants were tasked to put fiber reinforcement within the concrete shaped like bowling balls. ACIP-SUSC also participated in local community causes. Together with the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers SUSC, they conducted a tree planting event at the Dumaguete Eco Park Solid Waste at Brgy. Candau-ay. They also provided supplies and necessities at the Calabnugan Orphanage in Sibulan.

Thessalonica Yocor, ACIPSUSC Internal vice-president, said that receiving the award is a “great honor” for the organization.

“Aside from being recognized at the international level as one of the student chapters in the Philippines that received the Excellent award, all the individual’s efforts paid off, not just the officers but also our student members,” she said. tWS